Cabl o



F. l. GERHARD.

PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17, 191s. RENEWED Jun/1.1920.

, /M .w im m N F.1. GERHARD.

PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE. APPucATmN FILED DEcA?, ma. RENEwEn JUL.Y1, 1920.

,369,802, Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK .'r'. GERHARD, or MONROE, NEBnAsKA, AssreNoa 0E oNE-I-IALF 'ro cam. o. naar, or ivroNRoE, NEBRASKA.

PORTABLE FIRE-ESGAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Application led December 17, 1918, Serial No. 267,184. Renewed .Tuly` 1, 1920. Serial No. 393,455.

To all whom t may' concer/a.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. Germani), a citizen of the United States, residing` at Monroe, in the county of Platte and State of Nebraska, `have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Fire- Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in {ire escapes, and consists essentially in the provision of a casing having a reel about which a cable unwinds as the fire escape lowers, and-the provision of an automatic brake mechanism for regulating the speed of descent of the person being lowered with the fire escape.

The invention consists of further various details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specifically delined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view..

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view through the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a central view showing the parts out of gear, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line i-4 of Fig. 2.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter:

A designates a casing in which the operative parts of the fire escape are mounted, which consists of a circular outlined friction band B secured to the inner surface of the side wall of the casing. A frame C is mounted within the casing and E is a shaft journaled in suitable bearings in one of the side walls of the casing and said frame, and has a reel D fixed thereto and to which a cable is fastened, designed to unwind upon the reel, said cable passing through the top of the casing, and having a hook F fastened at its end, which is designed to be secured to any stationary object, such as the frame of a door or window within the building. Fired to said shaft is a gear wheel II which is 1n mesh with a pinion wheel I journaled on a stationary shaft K which has bearings 1n the opposite walls of the casing and in said frame. An anti-friction roller L is journaled upon thestationary shaft K and has flangesL at its ends. A centrifugal. brake member M Ais pivotally mountedupon `a pin N carried by a bar O which is fastened at one end to the face of said pinion wheel I. A beveled brake shoe M3 is mounted upon one endof said member M and a weight M2 upon the member adjacent to its opposite end, which end is beveled, as shown at 'MQ to bear upon the band B. A spring Q is fastened one end to said member and its other end to the outer free end of an arm O projecting from said bar, the purpose of said spring being to normally hold the brake member so that a notched portion R of the brake member will engage the anti-friction roller L which is journaled lupon the shaft K, suitable washers S2 being mounted upon the shaft K at either end of the friction roller and serving to prevent the brake member coming in contact with the gear mechamsm. l

A hand operated brake member T is pivotally connected at T inside the casing and has a concaved portion extending over the gear wheel which is fixed to the reel carrying shaft, and 'I2 is a coiled spring fastened at one end to the brake member T and its other end to said frame. Said member T is normally held by the spring T2 in contact with the teeth of the gear wheel H. Straps W are fastened to the casing and through which the legs of a person are adapted to be passed, and a second strap V is secured to the ends of the casing and designed to pass about the body of a person using the fire escape, in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

In operation, the person using the fire escape sits upon the straps, as shown, and by releasing the brake member I the cable will be allowed to unwind from the reel and the speed of the rotation of the reel will be governed. The centrifugally operated bralie mechanism, when thrown against the inner surface of the brake band B, will have a wedging frictional action and tend to slacken the unreeling of the cable, thus insuring a safe descent for the person using the appara- Vpressed weighted brake member mounted K upon'said'bar, and a brake shoe thereon, a

Ystationary friction band within the casing and'against which saidv shoe is adapted to contact.

f 2. A fire escape, comprising a casing, a shaftjournaled therein, a gear and a reel iXed to said shaft, a stationary shaft and pinion .loosely v'journaled thereon and in mesh ywith said gear wheel, a bar secured to the face of said'pinion, a brake member pivotally mounted near the outer end of said bar, a beveled shoe upon the brake member adjacent to its pivotal end and a weight near its oppositevend, and spring connections between the bar 'and member, and a stationary friction band within the casing against which said shoe is thrown by centrifugal force and adapted to have a wedging frietional engagement therewith.

3. A fire escape, comprising a easing, a shaft journaled therein, a gear and a reel fixed to said shaft, a stationary shaft and pinion loosely journaled thereon and in mesh with said gear wheel, a bar secured to the face of said pinion, a brake member pivotally mounted near the outer end of said bar, a beveled shoe upon the brake member adjacent to its pivotal end and a weight near its opposite end, and spring connections between the bar and member, and a stationary friction band within the easing against which said shoe is thrown by eentrifugal force and adapted to have a Wedging rictional engagement therewith, and a spring pressed pivotal hand brake engaging the teeth of said gear wheel.

In testimony whereol:l I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK J. GEBR-ARD.

Witnesses S. E. PnAnsoN, ALVIN NELSON. 

